Apparatus and methods for efficient delivery of electronic program guide data

Abstract

Apparatus and method for improving the bandwidth efficiency of delivering electronic program guide (EPG) data to consumer premises equipment (CPE). In one exemplary embodiment, electronic guide data is rendered by devices away from the CPE, shifting the executing data- and bandwidth-heavy operations away from the CPE. In particular, one or more gateways at the user's home bears the processing, memory, bandwidth load to reduce the inefficiency of delivering redundant information to CPE(s) interfacing with the gateway(s). Using guide data it receives from the cloud, the gateway produces and delivers to the CPE one or more “simple views” of the guide data, including a video stream, still image, or simple HTML or other renderable formats. As the end user interacts with the CPE, the user receives a series of the simple views, allowing the rich experience that is typically given by EPG rendered directly by the CPE.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for efficiently delivering electronic program guide (EPG) data from a network computerized entity to one or more client devices, a first computerized client device of said one or more client devices in data communication with said network computerized entity, said first computerized client device in further data communication with at least one other of said one or more client devices, said method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of guide data at said first computerized client device from said network computerized entity; 
 pre-processing at least a first portion of said plurality of guide data, via said first computerized client device, to generate a first HTML representation comprising one or more first static elements corresponding to a first of a plurality of display screens of an EPG digital representation; and 
 providing, from said first computerized device to said at least one other of said one or more client devices, said first HTML representation; 
 predicting, via said first computerized client device, a second of said plurality of display screens of said EPG digital representation based at least in part on one or more of: (i) data indicative of user behavior with respect to said EPG digital representation, or (ii) a determination of all possible subsequent user commands from said first HTML representation; 
 based at least in part on said predicting, pre-processing at least a second portion of said plurality of guide data, via said first computerized client device, to generate at least a second HTML representation comprising one or more second static elements corresponding to said predicted second of said plurality of display screens of said EPG digital representation; 
 wherein said pre-processing said first portion of said plurality of guide data at said first computerized client device at least partially obviates processing of said first portion of said plurality of guide data at said at least one other of said one or more client devices. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said act of receiving said data indicative of said user command comprises receiving data indicative of an input command via at least one of Bluetooth, local area wireless, Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA), a wired connection, or a physical button input. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising evaluating, via said first computerized client device, (i) a capability of said at least one other of said one or more client devices and/or (ii) an available network bandwidth;
 wherein pre-processing said first portion of said plurality of guide data comprises generating said first HTML representation based at least in part on said evaluating. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein said providing of said first HTML representation to said at least one other of said one or more client devices comprises delivery thereof in a format appropriate for said at least one other of said one or more client devices. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising authenticating with said network computerized entity, via said first computerized client device, said at least one other of said one or more client devices. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing said first HTML representation at a storage device in data communication with said first computerized client device. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that said plurality of guide data is insufficient; and 
 based at least in part on said determining, receiving, at said first computerized device from said network computerized entity, an update comprising a second plurality of guide data. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 after said act of pre-processing said second portion of said plurality of guide data, receiving, at said first computerized client device from said at least one other of said one or more client devices, data indicative of a user command with respect to said first of said plurality of display screens of said EPG digital representation; and 
 based at least in part on said data indicative of said user command, providing, from said first computerized device to said at least one other of said one or more client devices, said second HTML representation. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising receiving, at said first computerized device from said at least one other of said one or more client devices, said data indicative of said user behavior with respect to said EPG digital representation, said data indicative of said user behavior comprising data indicative of detection of a movement of a user-controlled selection icon toward a command button of said EPG digital representation. 
     
     
       10. A gateway apparatus configured for delivering pre-processed electronic program guide (EPG) data to a client device, said gateway apparatus comprising:
 a data communication interface, said gateway apparatus in data communication with at least a network computerized entity and one or more client devices via said data communication interface; 
 processor apparatus; and 
 storage apparatus in data communication with said processor apparatus and having at least one computer program stored thereon, said at least one computer program operative to run on said processor apparatus, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by said processor apparatus, cause said gateway apparatus to:
 receive a plurality of guide data from said network computerized entity via said data communication interface; 
 receive data indicative of a first user command associated with an EPG digital representation from at least one of said one or more client devices; 
 based at least in part on said data indicative of said first user command, pre-process at least a first portion of said plurality of guide data, said first portion of said plurality of guide data configured to generate a first one of: a still image, a video clip, or a webpage representative of a first display screen for said EPG digital representation; 
 transmit said pre-processed first plurality of guide data to said at least one one of said one or more client devices via said data communication interface; 
 determine all possible user commands subsequent to said first user command; and 
 based at least in part on said determination, pre-process at least a second portion of said plurality of guide data, said second plurality of guide data configured to generate one or more other still images, video clips, or webpages representative of one or more other display screens of said EPG digital representation, said one or more other display screens of said EPG digital representation corresponding to at least a portion of said determined all possible subsequent user commands; 
 wherein said of pre-process of said first portion of said plurality of guide data least partially obviates process of said first portion of said plurality of guide data at said at least one of said one or more client devices. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The gateway apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by said processor apparatus, cause said gateway apparatus to store said pre-processed first plurality of guide data at said storage apparatus. 
     
     
       12. The gateway apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said data communication interface comprises one or more capabilities for: radio frequency (RF), local area wireless, Bluetooth, universal serial bus (USB), wireless, or Ethernet. 
     
     
       13. The gateway apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by said processor apparatus, cause said gateway apparatus to:
 receive data indicative of a second user command with respect to said first display screen for said EPG digital representation from said at least one of said one or more client devices; and 
 based at least in part on said data indicative of said second user command, automatically transmit said pre-processed second portion of said plurality of data to said at least one of said one or more client devices via said data communication interface, said pre-processed second portion of said plurality of data configured to generate one of said one or more other still images, video clips, or webpages. 
 
     
     
       14. The gateway apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein a wait time for transmission of a response to said data indicative of said second user command is reduced relative to a standard wait time based at least in part on: (i) said determination of said all possible user commands subsequent of said first user command, (ii) said pre-process of said second portion of said plurality of guide data, (iii) and said automatic transmission of said at least portion of said pre-processed second portion of said plurality of guide data. 
     
     
       15. A computerized client apparatus configured for delivering pre-processed electronic program guide (EPG) data to at least one client device, said computerized client apparatus comprising:
 a data communication interface, said computerized client apparatus in data communication with at least a network computerized entity and said at least one client device via said data communication interface; 
 processor apparatus; and 
 storage apparatus in data communication with said processor apparatus and having at least one computer program stored thereon, said at least one computer program operative to run on said processor apparatus, said at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by said processor apparatus, cause said computerized client apparatus to:
 receive guide data from said network computerized entity via said data communication interface; 
 receive data indicative of a first user command with respect to an EPG digital representation from said at least one client device; 
 based at least in part on said data indicative of said first user command, pre-process at least a first portion of said guide data, said at least first portion of said guide data configured to generate a first one of: a still image, a video clip, or a webpage representative of a first display screen of said EPG digital representation; 
 transmit said pre-processed at least first portion of guide data to said at least one client device via said data communication interface; 
 predict a second display screen of said EPG digital representation subsequent to said first display screen of said EPG digital representation, said prediction based at least in part on data indicative of user behavior with respect to said first one of said still image, video clip, or web page; and 
 based at least in part on said prediction, pre-process at least a second portion of said guide data, said at least second portion of said guide data configured to generate a second one of: a still image, a video clip, or a webpage representative of said predicted second display screen of said EPG digital representation; 
 wherein said client apparatus is configured to utilize said pre-processed at least first portion of said guide data. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The computerized client apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by said processor apparatus, cause said computerized client apparatus to:
 after said pre-process of said at least second portion of said of guide data, receive, from said at least one client device, data indicative of a second user command with respect to said EPG digital representation; and 
 based at least in part on said data indicative of said second user command, automatically transmit said pre-processed at least second portion of said guide data to said at least one client device. 
 
     
     
       17. The computerized client apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein a wait time for transmission of a response to said data indicative of said second user command is reduced relative to a standard wait time based at least in part on (i) said pre-process of said at least second portion of said of guide data and (ii) said automatic transmission of said pre-processed at least second portion of said guide data. 
     
     
       18. The computerized client apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by said processor apparatus, cause said computerized client apparatus to receive said data indicative of said user behavior from said at least one client device, said data indicative of said user behavior comprising data indicative of identification of a movement of a user-controlled selection icon toward a command button of said EPG digital representation. 
     
     
       19. The computerized client apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed by said processor apparatus, cause said computerized client apparatus to determine all possible user commands subsequent to said first user command;
 wherein said pre-process of said at least second portion of said guide data is further based at least in part on said determination. 
 
     
     
       20. The computerized client apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein said computerized client apparatus is further configured to utilize said pre-processed at least second portion of said plurality of guide data, and is not configured to perform said preprocessing of said at least second portion of said plurality of guide data.